Millions of Pixel users already have upgraded Android 15, which promises a treasure trove of improvements in security and privacy features. Releasing the update last week, Google said that it would help users “enjoy security features that help keep your sensitive health, financial, and personal information protected from theft and fraud.”. Where things went wrong for those users is this should have been an easy migration; instead, it’s proved to be a messy affair for some.
Reports say that the Android 15 update is bricking Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, among others, and enforcing full usability loss. According to Android Police, several users have complained their phones get bricked after the update.
The bricking is connected to a brand-new feature on Android 15, “Private Space,” through which users were supposed to grow layers of privacy by hiding apps at a deeper level of the device than before. As for who has been identified or cited as having such a problem, someone on Reddit said, “Just giving a PSA to anyone who has a Pixel 6: Don’t enable the Private Space feature if you upgrade to Android 15. I unlocked the private space area and opened an app I installed in it, and it bricked my Pixel 6. I can’t turn the phone on or reboot it.”
Private Space, writes Google, is basically like a digital safe on your phone, creating another, more secure environment for sensitive apps, be it social media apps, banking apps, or dating apps. Once entered, these apps will disappear from the list of regular apps, will lose their notifications as well, and won’t be available inside the settings either. It opens up access by requiring users to verify with another security layer of authentication. Even though it seems to guarantee some hope for using it, this feature on several occasions placed critical problems in the way of some Pixel owners.
Several tech outlets have been warning users not to rush into upgrading to Android 15 as the issue has not been fixed. Google has not indicated a repair so far, which leaves the users in a lurch. “For now, there is no fix,” PC Mag said. “So, Pixel 6 owners might want to think twice about updating to Android 15 or refrain from using Private Space altogether if they’ve already updated.”
Of course, even though the problem seems to affect especially those devices running the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro a little more than the user who went out with the brand-new Pixel 8 Pro out of the box, the problem even reaches this new Pixel 8 Pro. According to Android Authority, some of their devices were unaffected while others did have similar troubles. The lack of consistency has added to the frustration of users expecting something more fine-tuned with the update.
Apart from the bricking problem, it has further disappointed some users that there are some network security features that people look for in an Android 15 beta that are lacking. This has further disillusioned users who depend on the updates for some more protection.
Google has yet to make any official statement, but such reports, and their rampantness, likely address the concerns. The tech giant is known to address matters right away, and this fix may be on the horizon.
Meanwhile, Pixel’s users should be extra watchful with the latest update. Upgrade users are told not to utilize the Private Space until further updates are provided, while those who haven’t updated yet can also hold off for now.
For Pixel 6 users, the best option is to wait for a word from Google or some sort of patch before trying to upgrade. The bricking problem has proved that as exciting as the new features in Android 15 are, the benefits may not seem to outweigh the risks for many users, at least in the short term.
Of course, you should always back up your data when overhauling any major system and if you are unsure whether you should download this update then this might be a good time to revert to checking with some favorite tech news feeds for all the latest details. Google will likely post its upgrade soon; in the meantime, keep your fingers crossed.
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